


Company

by jucee



Series: Cohabitation [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-27 08:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14421546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jucee/pseuds/jucee
Summary: Kyouraku and Ukitake hear the rumours, and invite themselves over for dinner.





	Company

When Byakuya comes home from the Sixth Division offices, the first thing he sees is Zaraki stretched out on the tatami, head propped up with one hand as he flips idly through the Seireitei Communication Monthly. He takes a moment to enjoy the sight—Zaraki’s yukata gaping open slightly, the sun setting in streaks of orange and pink behind him—then he says, “Get dressed.”

“I am dressed,” Zaraki replies without looking up.

Yachiru pops up over Zaraki’s shoulder. “I’m dressed too!” she chirps, then bounds over to Byakuya and wraps herself around one of his legs. “Welcome home, Byakucchi!”

“I’m home,” Byakuya answers politely, and is grateful to see that she actually is wearing something; most days she seems to run around the house stark naked, water and servants trailing in her wake. To Zaraki, he says again, “Get dressed. We have company for dinner.”

“Company?” Zaraki finally glances up at Byakuya, and his eye narrows in suspicion as he catches the resigned look on Byakuya’s face. “Who’s company?”

“Who’s company?” Yachiru parrots, still clinging to Byakuya’s leg.

Byakuya reaches down to pet her head, but ends up picking out twigs and leaves from her hair instead. “Kyouraku and Ukitake heard the rumours, and they invited themselves over for dinner.”

Zaraki grunts disinterestedly, and goes back to reading the magazine. This is not unexpected; Byakuya snaps his fingers and two servants immediately appear behind him, bowing low to the ground.

“Give Yachiru a bath, and make sure she stays in the tub this time. Bribe her with candy if you must,” he instructs, and the two servants efficiently disentangle Yachiru from his leg.

Then he strides over to Zaraki, pushes him flat onto his back, and straddles him around the waist. “Now then,” he murmurs, his hands gliding slowly down Zaraki’s scarred chest, “I think you should wear the dark blue kimono...”

***

“This is just charming,” Ukitake says, beaming at the new family of three.

In reply, Byakuya gives him a pinched look, Zaraki ignores him completely in favour of his sake bottle, and Yachiru crawls halfway over the table to grab another chicken drumstick with her bare hand.

“Delightful,” Kyouraku agrees, with almost convincing sincerity.

“Kyouraku and I are so happy for you! If we’d had more time to prepare we could’ve thrown a big announcement party, maybe organised a ceremony of some sort–”

“That’s really not necessary,” Byakuya cuts in quickly, and glances down at his bowl to avoid Ukitake’s puppy-dog eyes. He knows from past experience that those eyes can melt _steel_ , and Ukitake would have them married in a commitment ceremony in front of all Seireitei if they’re not careful. Byakuya shudders slightly as he imagines the four-tiered wedding cake with little Byakuya and Zaraki figurines on top.

“Now, now,” Kyouraku says, patting Ukitake’s hand. “We shouldn’t pressure them into something they’re not ready for. After all, we didn’t have a ceremony until we’d dated for about four centuries.”

Ukitake smiles tenderly at Kyouraku, while Zaraki rolls his visible eye and Byakuya throws up a little in his mouth.

Halfway across the table again, Yachiru suddenly pauses, frowning in confusion. “Kyou-chan and Juu-chan are married?”

“Yep, we are,” Kyouraku replies, and passes her the plate of chicken drumsticks so that she doesn’t have to reach for it. “For about two hundred years now.”

“Hmm,” she hums thoughtfully, and takes a huge bite of chicken. Then, with her mouth extremely full, she mumbles, “Ken-chan, when’re you gonna marry Byakucchi?”

Unwillingly and morbidly curious, Byakuya finally looks up from his rice bowl to glance at Zaraki, who has a gleam in his eye that may or may not have something to do with the two bottles of alcohol he’s already decimated.

“Well,” Zaraki drawls, “I kinda like this whole livin’ together in sin thing. But if the princess wants to get married, I’m all for it. That way I get his money if he dies, right?”

Ukitake gasps; it’s hard to tell if it’s because he’s happy that Zaraki wants to get married or upset that he’s contemplating spousal homicide in advance. Kyouraku just grins.

Byakuya murmurs, “Sorry, but my money would go to the next head of the Kuchiki family. Though you would receive a small stipend... as my widow.”

At this, Ukitake grimaces delicately, Kyouraku bursts out laughing, and Zaraki grins wolfishly. Byakuya decides to ignore them all and concentrate on his food instead, praying all the while that time would speed up and bring this excruciating ordeal to an end.

Waving a drumstick in her hand, Yachiru asks, “What do I get if you die?”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written sometime back in 2012, can't remember why I didn't post it at the time!


End file.
